>>NIGEL WHITE, SECRETARY OF THE BRITISH CHEESE BOARD
Nigel White should be pleased about government assurances that it did not intend to slap a “fat tax” on food products. He has been campaigning against the concept because it could have hit nutritious foods such as cheese hard: “It’s a wonderful example of misguided thinking. Cheese does contain fat, but it also contains a lot of other nutrients people need.”
But the recent fat tax debate is not the only issue White has been tackling. From Monday to Friday, he says: “I have been working with retailers on the way cheese is merchandised, promoted and packaged, connecting it with particular usage occasions.
“There is a lot of scope in the area of meal solutions. Retailers could, for example, promote cheese with a wine of the month at point of sale.”
And, he says, as they expand into food to go, it is vital they adapt to increasing competition from fast food and takeaway outlets. Other ideas could include selling crumbled cheese at the salad counter as part of freshly prepared salads.
“Look at US delis - there is so much cross-merchandising going on,” says White. “It is a very daunting area for consumers because there are so many different varieties of cheese, so it’s a huge challenge to educate and inspire shoppers. In the last week I have been sorting out marketing plans for several projects the British Cheese Board and the Stilton Cheesemakers’ Association have been working on, not only for Stilton but also for Cheshire cheese.”
But he says that, despite retailers’ willingness to help, progress is slow: “It’s difficult because supermarkets are organised along product lines. The sales process is very systems-driven.”
However, White relishes these challenges and says the pros of working in the category definitely outweigh the cons:
“There is so much variety and versatility, although manufacturers tend to hide their lights under bushels.”
making the right cheese connections
Nigel White should be pleased about government assurances that it did not intend to slap a “fat tax” on food products. He has been campaigning against the concept because it could have hit nutritious foods such as cheese hard: “It’s a wonderful example of misguided thinking. Cheese does contain fat, but it also contains a lot of other nutrients people need.”
But the recent fat tax debate is not the only issue White has been tackling. From Monday to Friday, he says: “I have been working with retailers on the way cheese is merchandised, promoted and packaged, connecting it with particular usage occasions.
“There is a lot of scope in the area of meal solutions. Retailers could, for example, promote cheese with a wine of the month at point of sale.”
And, he says, as they expand into food to go, it is vital they adapt to increasing competition from fast food and takeaway outlets. Other ideas could include selling crumbled cheese at the salad counter as part of freshly prepared salads.
“Look at US delis - there is so much cross-merchandising going on,” says White. “It is a very daunting area for consumers because there are so many different varieties of cheese, so it’s a huge challenge to educate and inspire shoppers. In the last week I have been sorting out marketing plans for several projects the British Cheese Board and the Stilton Cheesemakers’ Association have been working on, not only for Stilton but also for Cheshire cheese.”
But he says that, despite retailers’ willingness to help, progress is slow: “It’s difficult because supermarkets are organised along product lines. The sales process is very systems-driven.”
However, White relishes these challenges and says the pros of working in the category definitely outweigh the cons:
“There is so much variety and versatility, although manufacturers tend to hide their lights under bushels.”
making the right cheese connections
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